Independent Blade Control for Precision In-Row Crop Weeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current crop maintenance devices face limitations such as fixed mechanical motion, positional errors along and perpendicular to the plant row, inability to adjust for different plant shapes, and large clearance requirements due to imprecision, leading to potential damage to plants and inefficient soil treatment.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent crop maintenance device with independently controlled blades, utilizing feedback control and sensors to dynamically adjust blade position and speed, allowing for precise contouring around plants of varying sizes and shapes, eliminating the need for system-level side-shift mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If fixed mechanical motion systems are used, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate due to inability to adapt to plant variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic blade control where each blade can independently adjust its position, speed, and contour in real-time based on sensor feedback about plant location and shape. This transforms the fixed mechanical motion into a dynamic, adaptive system that maintains high precision without requiring overly complex mechanical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect plant positions and shapes, then feeds this information back to the control system which adjusts blade positions and motions accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables precise blade positioning while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through software-based adaptation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If large clearance is maintained around plants, then plant damage is reduced, but productivity decreases due to inefficient soil treatment coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The blades dynamically adjust their positions and contours in real-time to closely follow plant boundaries. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain minimal safe clearance while maximizing soil treatment coverage, eliminating the need for fixed large clearance zones and thereby improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each blade independently adapts its position and contour to match the local plant geometry it encounters. This local quality adjustment enables precise navigation around individual plants of varying shapes and sizes, allowing close passage without damage while treating all surrounding soil effectively.
3Device complexity
If indiscriminate row-based cultivation is used, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to inability to accommodate varying plant positions and shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The cultivation system is segmented into independently controlled blades rather than a single unified mechanism. Each blade can be controlled separately based on local plant conditions, enabling precise adaptation to varying plant positions and shapes without requiring the entire system to be overly complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (blade position, speed, contour) in real-time based on detected plant characteristics. This parameter adaptation allows the blades to precisely follow plant boundaries and accommodate variations in plant positioning and morphology.
4Reliability
If mechanical systems with large clearance requirements are used, then reliability is improved by avoiding plant damage, but productivity decreases due to reduced working width
Solution Approach 1:
The blades transition from fixed positions requiring large clearance to dynamically adjustable positions that adapt to each plant's location and shape. This dynamic capability maintains plant safety through real-time adjustment while maximizing field coverage and productivity by reducing unnecessary clearance zones.
Data Source
AI summary
System that automates crop maintenance activities, such as cultivating and weeding, with a device that intelligently and independently controls two blades that drag along either side of a crop row using sensors to repeatedly track the position of the blades and of the plants in the row. Blades may be moved in and out independently using an actuator for each blade to contour closely around the individual plants, even if plants or rows vary in their positions, and even if plant sizes and shapes differ. An illustrative system may use a single camera and a processor per crop row; the processor may analyze camera images to locate plant positions and shapes, to plan blade trajectories, and to control blade actuators. The processor may be able to control blade movement precisely to respond quickly to sensor input on changes in plant positions, shapes, and sizes along the row.